The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
Chapters VII-IX

Opening with Lily's location in the next few chapters, Wharton focuses on Lily's status, how her physical location and how it is currently relating to her location in society. "The walk up Fifth Avenue...this glimpse of the ever-revolving wheels of the great societal machine made Lily more than ever conscious of the steepness and narrowness of Gerty's stairs and of the cramped blind-alley of life to which they led," (Wharton, 278). Lily is beginning to see the world through different eyes and Wharton takes her perspective as both a negative and a positive growth for Lily. Fifth Avenue symbolizes the life that Lily had and wants again while Gerty's house symbolizes what she has come to through her debts and indecisive lifestyle. In my opinion, Wharton utilizes symbolism most effectively in these chapters. Her place has been epitomized by physical characteristics now; she is in the same place as the rest of society, but she is not "in" society. For many celebrities today, location is everything. Country singers go to Nashville and actors and dancers go to New York. Celebrities seem to fear leaving the public's eye. By falling out of step with the rest, as Lily experienced, is a clear path to losing your spot in the tightly bound circle of society; there are always others ready to take your place, not caring about your story or downfall unless it contributes to their personal success.